Feuerstein's Biotech Mailbag

Jackie "dared" me to read the hepatitis C message boards where she and other people with the disease gather because "every post on the board from a [telaprevir] trial patient, a verifiable patient, shows those patients' results following the same results in phase I and phase II -- becoming undetectable at day 8 or day 15 or at week 4 has been unheard of until telaprevir. By itself, that is amazing and is changing the treatment of hepatitis C."

In an email, I thanked Jackie for her perspective but reminded her of the dangers of drawing definitive conclusions about a drug based on anecdotal patient experiences. "This is why big clinical trials are run -- collective data will ultimately tell the tale of telaprevir," I wrote.

"Investors want a big shiny cure in telaprevir, but they ain't gonna get it," said Jackie. "The stock goes up and down, so what. The drug is and will be a part of the cure. Hands down. What stock price will be reflected by the drug? Jeez, first folks gotta get their heads out of their butts and take a long-term look at the disease, the need, the numbers of sick people and what it will really take to cure it."

It's perhaps not the typical investment advice, but definitely worth thinking about. Jackie, thanks.